Day 3 - Big Pit Mine, Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle

Wow am I tired. And cold. But today was another great day with lots of awesome.

The morning started early with everybody getting on a coach bus at 8 am (3 am Ohio/PA time - think about that!) and we headed out to Wales. Second day in Wales for me, which I found extra cool. Once at the Big Pit Mine, we got outfitted with hard hats and emergency equipment and actually descended into the mine in the kind of cage they use in working mines. A bit disconcerting at first, but it was really interesting to have to duck and crouch through the tunnels and really get a sense of what it was like. There were stables in the mines for the ponies they used to pull the carts, and I was shocked to learn that due to their cost-saving nature, they used ponies underground until 1972. Our guide was really cool and liked joking with us about things in the US like colloquialisms and the names of our states. Actually, everyone working there was really cool!

Afterwards we piled back onto the bus and ate the lunches we had packed the night before while the driver drove us to Tintern Abbey. I've always had this weird thing for abandoned, tumbledown houses, so I found the abbey especially gorgeous and haunting and fascinating. We were able to wander around by ourselves and look at everything, and then we had to do a sketch of something that illustrated Gilpin's idea of the picturesque as well as write something small along the same vein. It was just wet and chilly at first, but by the time I started sketching it had started to drizzle in earnest so I had to get creative and sit on a plastic bag I happened to have, while perched on the edge of a stone wall and huddled over my sketchbook on top of my backpack and holding my umbrella between my cheek and my shoulder. I think it turned out decently though, and I felt pretty smart with my little setup.

We were able to warm up a little on the short bus ride from the abbey to Chepstow Castle. The rain didn't ease off much, but I was able to give my presentation on the English suppression of the Welsh culture in the safety and shelter of one of the castle rooms. The presentation went well (as a Whovian I have a definite soft spot for Wales!) and then we were turned loose to explore and sketch and write like we'd done at Tintern Abbey. I did a umbrella balancing like I'd done before and found the castle sketch especially fun. Also I was sort of nerding out because I WAS IN A REAL ACTUAL CASTLE!! I mean, every kid's dream, right?! I just loved being able to explore.

So, cold, wet, and tired, we got back on the bus and made it back safely to the YMCA. Cara and I got fish and chips for dinner (yay - my first properly English food!!) and now I'm doing some laundry and writing this before I do a bit more journaling in my sketchbook and maybe read some more Frankenstein before I go to bed. Tomorrow is the Glastonbury Tor and some other things I can't remember, so you'll get those updates tomorrow!